Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE:LVS) announced today that it has initiated high-speed ferry service between Hong Kong's Macao Ferry Terminal at Shun Tak Centre and Macao's newly opened Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal on Macao's Taipa Island.
With today's launch of the new CotaiJet service, which is being managed by Cotai Chu Kong Shipping Management Services Co., Ltd. of Hong Kong, visitors and residents of Hong Kong, Macao, and the Pearl River Delta region may now enjoy additional transportation options, and important incremental transportation capacity, between the two Special Administrative Regions.
The first CotaiJet, dubbed The Grand Canal Shoppes, departed Macao at 8:30 a.m. this morning and after completing her inaugural voyage to Hong Kong, docked at Hong Kong's Macao Ferry Terminal at Shun Tak Centre at 9:30 a.m. Her return voyage from Hong Kong to Macao took place at approximately 10:00 a.m. today and she arrived back at the Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal, which is located just a short distance from both the Macao International Airport and the Cotai Strip(TM), at approximately 11:00 a.m. today.
"As Hong Kong, Macao, and the wider Pearl River Delta enjoy increasing levels of visitation from throughout Asia and around the world, investments in transportation infrastructure will be vital to the continuing development of the region as a leading leisure and convention destination," said Mr. William Weidner, president of Las Vegas Sands Corp. "This new service will offer visitors to the region, and residents of Hong Kong, Macao and southern China, important additional transportation options on the increasingly utilized Hong Kong-Macao route. In addition, visitors to Macao will have the opportunity to arrive directly on Taipa Island in close proximity to The Venetian Macao and the Cotai Strip(TM)."
Weidner said the additional arrival point in Macao will help to alleviate a portion of the current traffic congestion on the Macao peninsula and enable increasing levels of visitation to both Macao and the wider region for years to come.
The Grand Canal Shoppes vessel is one of three 47.5 meter hi-tech passenger catamarans providing LVS's CotaiJet service. The CotaiJet service features 20 sailings per day, 10 each from Hong Kong and Macao, with service beginning at 7am each day. An additional seven boats, bringing the fleet of CotaiJets to 10, are expected to be placed into service throughout 2008.
Each custom-built catamaran has the capacity to carry more than 400 passengers and operate at top speeds of approximately 42 knots. CotaiJet service will feature first-class dining options, convenient booking of Cotai Strip entertainment offerings, as well as on-board hotel check-in services for visitors to the Cotai Strip.
"With its wide-range of business, exhibition and convention facilities and world-class entertainment, all complimented by an incredible Venetian-style shopping, dining, and recreation experience, the Cotai Strip was specifically designed to help transform Macao into a multi-day stay destination," said Mr. Stephen Weaver, president of Asia Region, Las Vegas Sands Corp. "The launch of our sea-borne transportation system, which would not have been possible without the strong support of authorities in Hong Kong, Macao, and the wider region, is an important component in our collective efforts to transform the region as a whole into one of the world's leading business and leisure destinations."
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